The Ganjam district BJP led by its president Bibhuti Bhusan Jena and senior leader and former president Kanhu Charan Pati took out a rally against the alleged hooliganism and rowdy conduct of BeMC Enforcement Squad (ES) on small and poor businessmen of the city and forceful collection of huge sum as fine from them on the sheer pretext of violation of Covid-19 norms.
Later, the party submitted a memorandum to the BeMC Commissioner. Hundreds of party workers joined the protest.Over last seven months, the small and poor businessmen, retailers, vegetable vendors, road-side hoteliers and labourers are passing through fiscal stress and unable to maintain their family due shutdown of their shops.
Even some of the large businessmen have come down to road to start small business like road side hotels, vegetables and tea stalls to maintain their family as their businesses were severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, they said.
As Ganjam district was on the top of Covid-19 patients in the State, the people of the district and silk city in particular remained indoor and strictly obeyed the Covid-19 guidelines, lockdown norms and 5-T rules of the district administration from time to time.
As a result, the district witnessed a spectacular decline in the number of corona positives since last fortnight, Jena claimed. It is the public and business community of Ganjam who contributed significantly for the successful combating and containing of Corona virus in the district which the district administration takes credit, said former district president of the party Pati.
The party said people who lost their jobs like drivers, cleaners, and conductors and were struggling hard for their livelihood are now resorting to a small business like selling vegetables, or opening a tea stall or hotel or selling banana either in the roadside or at their door step but they were being harassed by the Enforcement Squad. The party demanded before the BeMC Commissioner to intervene in the matter and end the reign of terror by the squad.